Israeli Courage Averts Catastrophe: Terror Threats Know No Borders
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed in an address to the nation late yesterday afternoon that it was an Israeli passenger who helped break into the cockpit stop an Omani terrorist copilot from hijacking an Flydubai plane carrying more than 100 Israelis from Dubai to Tel Aviv.
“Citizens of Israel,
This morning, there was a serious security incident on a flight from Dubai to Israel. Almost all the passengers on the flight were Israelis. During the flight, as they approached the country, one of the pilots stabbed the second pilot, and apparently tried to crash the plane with everyone on board.
I spoke with one of the Israeli passengers. He told me that the plane went into a spin and began to dive. He told me that, somehow or other, he managed to break into the cockpit with one of the crew members, and that together they neutralized the stabbing pilot while he was trying to sabotage the plane’s systems. Another flight crew on board entered the cockpit and managed to stabilize the plane.
I salute these heroes, who displayed exceptional resourcefulness and courage. They saved many lives. They prevented a huge disaster.
The plane landed safely at Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia. All passengers are out of danger. The stabbing pilot was arrested and is currently being interrogated by the Saudi authorities.
AFSI Insight
The attempted attack aboard the Dubai-to-Tel Aviv flight is a stark reminder that Israelis can face deadly threats even thousands of feet in the air. Only Hashem and the courage and quick action of Israeli passengers and crew helped prevent what Israeli officials say could have been a catastrophic disaster. AFSI salutes those who acted decisively to protect their fellow passengers and underscores the continuing need for vigilance against terrorism wherever Israelis are targeted. As Ben Gurion famously said ” In Israel, in order to be a realist, you must believe in miracles”.
Sanctioning Jews for Building? Congress Crosses the Line
A group of House Democrats is introducing legislation that would sanction individuals and companies involved in establishing or expanding Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria, while banning goods produced in those communities from entering the United States.
The bill, called the Stop the Settlements Act, is being led by Reps. Joaquin Castro of Texas, Madeleine Dean of Pennsylvania, Don Beyer of Virginia, Greg Casar of Texas, Sara Jacobs of California and Veronica Escobar of Texas.
More than 30 additional Democrats have signed on as co-sponsors.
According to the lawmakers’ official announcement, the bill would impose sanctions on foreign individuals and entities involved in establishing new Israeli communities or expanding existing communities and outposts in Judea and Samaria or Gaza. It would also prohibit the importation into the United States of goods produced in those locations.
AFSI Insight
This legislation is a dangerous escalation in U.S. pressure against Israel. The proposed Stop the Settlements Act would use American sanctions and an import ban to deliberately obstruct Jewish construction and development in Judea and Samaria—including strategically vital areas such as E1.
AFSI rejects the premise that Washington should dictate where Jews may live in their legal and historic homeland. Judea and Samaria are not foreign territory to be surrendered under congressional pressure. Economic warfare against Israelis for building communities must be opposed—not expanded. The effort should be recognized for what it is: an attempt to use U.S. economic power to advance a political agenda that would constrain Israel’s sovereignty and security.
Judea and Samaria are the heartland of Jewish history and an essential component of Israel’s security. AFSI will continue to stand firmly against efforts to freeze Jewish growth, reward territorial demands, or impose a Palestinian state through American pressure.
Abbas’s Reform Rhetoric Doesn’t Match Reality
In a pre-recorded speech played at the United Nations General Assembly on September 24, Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas presented an extraordinarily positive picture of the reforms he claims his government has carried out. According to Abbas, the PA has fulfilled the commitments it made to the international community.
“We have completed the national reform program to which we committed ourselves before our people and the international community,” Abbas announced. He went on to say that the Palestinian leadership had “strengthened institutional governance, public financial management, transparency, accountability, the fight against corruption, and the rule of law.”
Abbas also claimed that his government had established a “unified national system of social protection and welfare based on need,” continued reforming the education system “in accordance with international standards,” and was advancing “democratic renewal and the empowerment of women and young people.”
AFSI Insight
Abbas’s declaration of “reform” should not be accepted at face value. If the PA continues to support terrorism, promote incitement, and educate another generation against Israel, then changing the language or structure of its programs is not genuine reform. The international community must judge the Palestinian Authority by its actions—not its promises—and should not reward empty declarations with greater legitimacy or support.
Targeting Israel Has Consequences
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar gives Dutch diplomats seven days to surrender their Israeli credentials after the Netherlands begins enforcing a boycott that includes travelers’ souvenirs. Professor Kontorovich calls the reported airport searches “a real outrage.”
Israel is moving to strip Dutch diplomats serving in Ramallah of their Israeli-granted privileges and immunities, as the Netherlands’ boycott of products from Jewish communities reaches passengers arriving at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport.
Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar informed the Dutch Embassy that the diplomats must return their Israeli-issued diplomatic documents within seven days. Their associated privileges and immunities will expire when that deadline passes. The decision follows the implementation of Dutch restrictions on goods from Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria, eastern Jerusalem, including the Old City of Jerusalem, and the Golan Heights.
AFSI Insight
The Dutch boycott goes far beyond trade—it reaches into the personal belongings of travelers and treats ordinary Israeli products and souvenirs as contraband. AFSI supports Israel’s decision to respond firmly by revoking privileges from Dutch diplomats, making clear that economic discrimination against Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria, Jerusalem, and the Golan will not go unanswered. Europe should understand that targeting Israel carries consequences, and that singling out Jewish communities for boycott only encourages further hostility and antisemitism.
No More “Managing” Terror—Israel Must Secure Judea and Samaria
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has called for Israel to launch a Gaza-style military campaign in Judea and Samaria and dismantle the Palestinian Authority, laying out a comprehensive security agenda for the next government one month before Israelis go to the polls.
Smotrich, chairman of the Religious Zionist Party, told Yedioth Ahronoth that Israel should expand its military approach in the territory from counterterrorism operations to a broader campaign aimed at eliminating terrorist infrastructure, seizing weapons and preventing armed groups from rebuilding.
“We need to go to war in Judea and Samaria. Do there what we did in Gaza,” Smotrich said.
He argued that the Palestinian Authority should be dismantled, describing it as a terrorist entity, and said the IDF should be instructed to ensure there are no terrorists, weapons, tunnels or other terrorist infrastructure remaining in the territory.
AFSI Insight
Smotrich’s call for a decisive campaign against terrorism in Judea and Samaria highlights what AFSI has long warned: Israel cannot achieve lasting security while terrorist infrastructure and a hostile Palestinian Authority remain entrenched in the heartland of Israel. AFSI supports dismantling the terrorist infrastructure threatening Jewish communities and believes Israel must move beyond temporary “mowing the grass” operations toward firm security measures and the assertion of Jewish sovereignty in Judea and Samaria.
The Temple Mount Is Ours: Sovereignty Must Mean Sovereignty
National Security Minister and Otzma Yehudit chairman Itamar Ben Gvir ascended the Temple Mount on Monday morning in honor of the Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles) holiday, where he offered a prayer and called for Israeli sovereignty over the site.
Ben Gvir opened his remarks by reflecting on the three years that have passed since the October 7 massacre.
“October 7 was an immense pain, a terrible pain. But today, three years later, it is the Sukkot holiday, a festival of joy, and we can be happy about many things that have happened since then.”
“And on this holiday, I pray here on the Temple Mount, at the most important place, for total victory, complete redemption, death to all terrorists, and sovereignty here, at the most important place for the Jewish people. They wanted to win. We defeated them, first and foremost, here on the Temple Mount.”
AFSI Insight
Ben Gvir’s declaration that “we are the masters here” underscores an important principle: the Temple Mount is Judaism’s holiest site and must not remain a place where Jewish sovereignty is constrained by outside pressure. His call for Israeli sovereignty reflects a growing insistence that Israel exercise its rights in Jerusalem and on the Temple Mount.
For AFSI, Jewish sovereignty means more than controlling security—it means the freedom of Jews to pray at Judaism’s holiest site. The gradual expansion of Jewish access and prayer in recent months represents a significant change from past restrictions and should not be reversed.
Netanyahu Tells the Truth to the UN
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu used his address to the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday to defend Israel’s strikes on Iran’s nuclear program, saying the operation was necessary for the country’s survival and accusing foreign leaders who criticize Israel publicly of privately thanking it for acting against Tehran.
The overall message of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech at today’s United Nations General Assembly essentially had three interconnected themes:
1) Iran is the larger strategic threat.
Netanyahu sought to make the case that Iran remains a danger not only to Israel but to the broader Western world.
2) Israel will not surrender its security interests because of international pressure.
He defended Israel’s actions in Gaza and rejected the idea that diplomatic condemnation, sanctions, or UN resolutions should dictate Israel’s security policy.
3) Israel’s case must be heard despite growing international criticism.
His presentation was deliberately confrontational: rather than apologizing for Israel’s conduct, he sought to turn the criticism back on Hamas, Iran, the Palestinian leadership, and countries he believes are applying a double standard to Israel.
Notably, the speech came amid a highly charged atmosphere: many delegates walked out as Netanyahu began speaking, according to CBS, while supporters and opponents demonstrated outside the UN.
AFSI Insight
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu brought Israel’s case directly to the UN—and refused to bow to the international pressure campaign against the Jewish state. His message was unmistakable: Israel’s security and sovereignty are not negotiable.
Netanyahu confronted the threats from Iran and Hamas, defended Israel’s right to defeat terrorism, and rejected the push for a Palestinian state that would place Israel’s heartland and security at greater risk. For AFSI, this is especially significant: Judea and Samaria are not bargaining chips to be surrendered to satisfy foreign governments or an international agenda. Israel must stand firm against diplomatic coercion, sanctions, and the continued promotion of a failed two-state formula.
The Jewish people have the right to security, sovereignty, and a secure future in their historic homeland. Israel must determine its own future—not the UN.
U.S. Holds the PA Accountable: No Reward for Terror or Lawfare
For the second time in two years, the United States has barred Palestinian Authority delegates and officials from attending the United Nations General Assembly (Sept. 8-28).
A Sept. 16 State Department media note similar in tone and content to one it released in July 2025 said the Palestinian Authority and Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), the dominant force within the P.A., have failed to live up to their commitments, contradicting U.S. law.
Among the P.A.’s violations, the State Department listed its calling for action against Israel at international organizations, instigating the International Criminal Court (ICC) and International Court of Justice (ICJ) to pursue Israel, and bypassing negotiations by seeking unilateral recognition of statehood.
AFSI Insight
The U.S. decision to again restrict Palestinian Authority officials from attending the U.N. is a welcome acknowledgment that international lawfare, unilateral statehood campaigns and the glorification of terrorism cannot be treated as legitimate substitutes for negotiations. The PA’s continued efforts to pursue Israel through the ICC and other international bodies, while maintaining policies that reward terrorists and their families, demonstrate the need for meaningful consequences—not diplomatic accommodation.
AFSI supports holding the PA accountable and urges the United States to maintain pressure until Palestinian leadership genuinely ends terror payments and abandons its campaign to internationalize the conflict.
Guterres Targets Israel While Ignoring the Real Threat
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich sharply criticized UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday evening following his remarks against Israeli policy in Judea and Samaria during his speech at the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
“The UN Secretary-General’s wild incitement gives a tailwind to terrorism,” Smotrich wrote on X. “He is endangering the lives of half a million Jewish Israeli citizens living in Judea and Samaria.”
Smotrich continued his criticism of Guterres, citing UNRWA’s activities: “Someone who heads the organization that funded and provided cover for UNRWA – the operational arm of the Hamas terrorist organization in the October 7 massacre – cannot preach to us about anything.”
AFSI Insight
Smotrich’s rebuke of UN Secretary-General António Guterres highlights a fundamental problem with the UN’s approach to Israel: its repeated focus on condemning Israeli communities in Judea and Samaria while failing to adequately confront the terrorism and incitement that threaten their residents. AFSI agrees that rhetoric from senior UN officials can have real-world consequences when it ignores Israel’s security concerns and legitimizes narratives that place blame primarily on Israel. The safety of the hundreds of thousands of Jewish residents of Judea and Samaria must be treated as a legitimate security priority—not as an obstacle to be removed
Hamas Must Know: Kidnapping Israelis Will Have Consequences
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz issued a stark warning to Hamas on Tuesday against attempting to kidnap a soldier or a civilian, during an address at a memorial ceremony for the fallen of the 1973 Yom Kippur War.
“In light of various intentions and intelligence reports, I hereby warn the terrorist organization [Hamas] and its supporters, from Iran to [Turkish President Recep Tayyip] Erdoğan,” Katz said at the National Memorial Hall for Fallen Soldiers at Mount Herzl Military Cemetery in Jerusalem.
“If even one Israeli soldier or civilian is abducted, the city of Gaza—with its homes and terrorist towers—will be evacuated southward of its one million residents,” he continued, “and it will be dealt with in the same manner in which Rafah and Beit Hanoun and 70% of the Gaza Strip were dealt with, until he is returned.”
He further stated, “This is the language that the jihadist terrorist organizations in Gaza and Lebanon understand, and this is the language we speak: evacuating the population, destroying the infrastructure, and taking the territory.”
AFSI Insight
Israel Katz’s warning makes clear that Hamas will face severe consequences for any attempt to abduct another Israeli soldier or civilian. AFSI has long emphasized that deterrence requires credible consequences—not empty threats. Hamas must understand that hostage-taking will not provide leverage but will instead bring intensified pressure against its terrorist infrastructure and control of Gaza. Israel’s refusal to withdraw from strategic security zones until Hamas is dismantled and Gaza is demilitarized is central to preventing another October 7.
Source:
Katz: Gaza City to be ‘evacuated’ if Hamas kidnaps Israeli soldier or civilian, by JNS Staff