Public figures on Wednesday responded to published off-the-record comments by Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, indicating that Jerusalem is not planning to apply sovereignty over Judea and Samaria “at least in the coming months,” due to opposition from U.S. President Donald Trump.

MK Ohad Tal responded to Sa’ar’s comments, telling JNS that applying Israeli sovereignty in Judea and Samaria is the morally and biblically correct path and represents the only viable solution to stabilizing the region and ensuring a better future for all—Jews and Arabs alike.

Former Ambassador Yoram Ettinger said Israel’s control of the Judea and Samaria mountain range was a critical line of defense that Americans should understand is not important only for Israel, but “serves as a deterrent against terrorism and war, which is consistent with U.S. interests.”

The Sovereignty Movement emphasized that while Trump is a true friend of Israel, as demonstrated by many of his actions and statements, the responsibility for fateful decisions regarding the future of the State of Israel lies solely with the government of Israel.

Rabbi Tuly Weisz, founder of Israel365 Action, a new party in the World Zionist Organization supporting sovereignty, told JNS that Sa’ar correctly doesn’t want to publicly disrespect Trump, whom he called Israel’s great ally.

Avi Abelow offered that Sa’ar’s remarks highlight that Israel has not effectively framed sovereignty as a shared objective with its most important ally.

AFSI’s take:
Reasonable people who understand the facts about Israel’s biblical and historical rights to the land understand that the application of sovereignty should not be conditioned on outside approval. Though ignoring geopolitical constraints may pose risks to Israel, it doesn’t change the truth about this issue and Israel remains the sole arbiter. If anything, both the discussion and outrage triggered by Sa’ar’s statement signals that the question about applying sovereignty has transitioned from a theoretical consideration to a practical one. It is evolving from a question of ‘if’ to ‘when’—and under what conditions.

Source:
Ire at Israeli FM saying need US OK before Judea and Samaria sovereignty, by Josh Hasten/JNS, April 30, 2026

Brigadier General (res.) Erez Weiner, former operations officer for the Judea and Samaria Division, and Colonel Prof. Gabi Siboni, former commander of the Golani Reconnaissance Unit, launched a direct attack against the term “settler violence.”

In an extensive paper published as research fellows at the ICGS Strategy Center, the two argue that the term is part of a well-funded political campaign designed to generate international pressure on Israel and undermine the standing of Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria.

The researchers point to what they describe as a deep gap between international reporting and the reality on the ground. According to the paper, United Nations OCHA data include incidents unrelated to violence, such as Jewish visits to the Temple Mount, nature hikes, or state infrastructure work.

AFSI’s take:
Portraying Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria as violent is a tactic employed by Israel’s enemies and detractors to undermine the Jewish Nation State’s legitimacy. It is essential to demand transparency, which includes clear definitions, verifiable sources, and the application of consistent standards in an equitable manner. In the absence of these elements, information shifts away from factual discourse and leans towards conflicting narratives—an approach that exacerbates baseless hatred of Judea, Samaria and Israel.

Source:
Study shows: Left-wing orgs inflate violence data in Judea and Samaria, by Israel National News

A bombing attack was prevented on Tuesday by a resident of Esh Kodesh in the Shiloh area. While en route to the community, the resident noticed a PLO flag suspiciously placed on the community’s back gate.

Thanks to high alertness, the resident took extra caution and noticed an activation cable leading from the flag to an explosive device placed nearby.

The resident immediately contacted the community security coordinator, and within minutes, security forces arrived and closed off the perimeter. Police explosive ordnance disposal experts were dispatched to the scene and neutralized the threat before it could harm anyone.

AFSI’s take:
What is immediately noticeable is the technique employed to conceal an explosive device behind a symbolic item such as a flag. This was not merely an effort to inflict damage—it was also intended to manipulate instinct. The flag served as a tool of terror directed at Israel. The vigilance demonstrated by the Esh Kodesh resident at the individual level was instrumental in saving lives. As the residents warn of a worsening security situation in this area, it’s imperative for Israel to enhance security measures here.

Source:
Booby-trapped PLO flag found near Esh Kodesh, by Israel National News, April 28, 2026

Iran has proposed a deal with the United States to reach an agreement on reopening the Strait of Hormuz and ending the war, while delaying negotiations on Tehran’s nuclear program to a later stage, according to a report Sunday, after hoped-for talks in Pakistan over the weekend failed to materialize.

After calling off a planned delegation to Pakistan at the last minute the previous day, US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that the Iranian team could reach Washington by phone if they wished to speak.

But resolving the standoff over the Strait of Hormuz, lifting the US blockade and allowing Iran’s oil exports to flow again would leave Trump and Washington without much leverage for future negotiations.

It is also unclear whether Trump would agree to push off the nuclear talks to an unspecified later date, given that he has repeatedly insisted that he will settle for nothing less than Tehran’s commitment to ending its nuclear activities.

AFSI’s take:
The extent of the economic distress caused by the closure of Hormuz on a global scale, as well as whether Trump perceives a deal as politically beneficial in the short term, is yet to be determined. What remains unequivocal is that Iran must not possess nuclear weapons, and it is difficult to envision Trump permitting his primary demand to be postponed to an unspecified future date. The adage ‘better late than never’ does not hold in this context. It is merely a stalling tactic employed by Iran, and President Trump who now “holds all the cards” undoubtedly will not accept anything less than Iran’s commitment to a full halt of its nuclear ambitions.

Source:
Iran said to offer US deal to reopen Hormuz, end war and put off nuclear talks, by TOI Staff and Agencies, April 27, 2026

Israel’s Finance Ministry announced Monday that it has withheld hundreds of millions of shekels in tax revenues collected on behalf of the Palestinian Authority (PA), citing the entity’s continued support for terrorism and its outstanding debts to Israeli service providers.

In a media statement, Smotrich blasted the PA for using public money to support terrorism, including its “pay-for-slay” policy, which provides generous monthly stipends to convicted terrorists and their families. “Not a single shekel intended for incitement to terrorism will be transferred,” Smotrich said in a press release. “Those who choose to fight the State of Israel in the international arena and support terrorism will pay the price.”

AFSI’s take:
The ongoing “pay for slay” program utilized by the PA represents a terrorist strategy aimed at undermining Israel. No payments should be made until all acts of terrorism come to an end, and if targeting their financial resources is a way to resolve this issue, then that must be the course of action taken.

Source:
Israel withholds PA tax funds over terror financing, by World Israel News Staff, April 27, 2026

Iran possesses far more enriched uranium than previously estimated – a stockpile of 11 tons, in fact. It’s clear that the danger from Iran’s nuclear development is far greater than Western powers have previously realized.

Much of the attention has centered on Tehran’s approximately 440 kilograms (about 970 pounds) of uranium enriched to 60 percent purity, just short of weapons-grade, which is 90 percent. This is just a part of a much broader reserve.

It is not difficult for Iran to rapidly increase the purity of lower-percentage enriched uranium. The major concern is the fact that the precise location of much of this uranium remains unclear. Much of the stockpile is believed to be stored in fortified or underground facilities, complicating international monitoring efforts and making it difficult to eliminate the threat.

AFSI’s take:
The possession of nuclear material by Iran continues to be an urgent and paramount concern in order to bring the ongoing military operations against it to a conclusion. The Islamic Republic regime may be stalling and delaying its actions, anticipating the conclusion of President Donald J. Trump’s term; however, both Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Trump’s insistence that Iran must never possess a nuclear weapon remains steadfast.

Source:
Iran’s 11-Ton Nuclear Stockpile Shatters Illusions of Containment, by Hana Levi Julian/The Jewish Edition, April 26, 2026

The Iranian regime is increasingly unable to meet its financial obligations, including payments to soldiers and police officers. In a post published to his Truth Social account just after midnight on Wednesday, Trump wrote that the American blockade on Iran has left the Islamic Republic on the verge of financial collapse.

“Iran is collapsing financially! They want the Strait of Hormuz opened immediately- Starving for cash! Losing 500 Million Dollars a day. Military and Police complaining that they are not getting paid,” Trump wrote.

The comments came hours after Trump announced that he had agreed to extend the ceasefire with Iran, while maintaining the blockade.

AFSI’s take:
Iran is running out of time, yet it clings desperately to its terrorist existence. High-ranking officials of the IRGC are convinced that after five weeks of fierce combat, they have managed to mitigate the threat to the regime’s continuity. The most recent ceasefire extension announced by Trump has not altered Iran’s behavior or curtailed the wider conflict. This is the case for now. The United States will undoubtedly resume military action very soon if the Iranian regime doesn’t return to meaningful and productive discussions – and solutions!

Source:
Cash-starved Iranian regime is ‘collapsing financially,’ says Trump, by David Rosenberg/World Israel News, April 22, 2026

Hezbollah has carried out multiple violations of the Lebanon ceasefire in recent days — rocket fire, drone launches, armed crossings of the truce line, and a deadly ambush on French UN peacekeepers — as Israeli forces press on with efforts to dismantle the group’s military infrastructure in southern Lebanon.

Hezbollah operatives have also repeatedly crossed the Forward Defense Line on the ground. In the Saluki area on Tuesday, two terrorists breached the truce line and advanced on IDF soldiers, posing what the military called an immediate threat. Both were killed in an Israeli airstrike.

Prior to that, the Paratrooper Brigade identified a Hezbollah group crossing the line toward Israeli positions in the Bint Jbeil area and directed an airstrike that eliminated them. In a separate incident near the Litani River, the Golani Brigade called in a strike against additional operatives who had breached the ceasefire under similar circumstances.

AFSI’s take:
At times, we ponder the feasibility of achieving the “eradication” of terrorism. The military operations conducted by the IDF cannot entirely resolve the fundamental dynamics that enable these groups to endure. Nevertheless, we continue to hold on to hope for a long-anticipated and favorable resolution of peace in the Middle East.

Source:
Hezbollah Repeatedly Breaches Lebanon Ceasefire, Another French Peacekeepers Killed, by The News Desk/The Jewish Edition, April 23, 2026

During the traditional Independence Day ceremony in the community of Bruchin, Finance Minister and Religious Zionism Party chairman Bezalel Smotrich lit the “settlement torch” alongside Samaria Regional Council head Yossi Dagan, who received special recognition from the community.

Smotrich spoke emotionally about the steps he has advanced in Judea and Samaria, saying, “Today, here in Samaria, the prophecies of consolation are no longer a dream but the view from the window. Since the beginning of this term, we have been leading a true revolution in Judea and Samaria.”

“We have legalized all the young settlements and declared no fewer than 103 new communities in Judea and Samaria. Among them is a historic and moving correction of the expulsion injustice in northern Samaria. We have returned to Homesh, Sa-Nur, Ganim, and Kadim. We have come home – and this time, for good.”

“Just as we returned to northern Samaria, we will also return to Gush Katif,” he added.

AFSI’s take:
The journey to re-establish Gush Katif may appear lengthy, but it is achievable. The establishment of sovereignty will drive this objective forward.

Source:
Smotrich: We will return to Gush Katif as we returned to northern Samaria, by Israel National News, April 22, 2026

US President Donald Trump said he expects planned negotiations with Iran in Pakistan to proceed despite public statements from Tehran casting doubt on participation.

“We’re supposed to have the talks,” Trump told the New York Post on Monday, expressing confidence that the process remains on track and adding that he assumes “nobody’s playing games.”

Trump also indicated that he would be open to meeting senior Iranian leaders directly if progress is made. “I have no problem meeting them,” he said, while emphasizing that the US delegation includes experienced officials capable of handling the negotiations.

He reiterated that the central US demand is that Iran abandon any effort to develop nuclear weapons, stating that there “will be no nuclear weapon.” Trump added that Iran could prosper if it complies with this requirement.

AFSI’s take:
Every action taken by Trump resembles a chess match; one that he aims to win. Last Friday, he declared that Iran had assured him it would never again close the Strait of Hormuz and would yield 100% of its enriched uranium. Announcement of a ceasefire appeared to be encouraging for the U.S. However, less than 24 hours later, Iran dispatched IRGC naval forces to close the Strait and obstruct all shipping. Iran’s sudden reversal only exposed itself—rejecting negotiations, intensifying threats, reinforcing its nuclear ambitions, and supporting its terror proxies. While we did not expect Iran to keep its word, their about face is a chess move anticipated by Trump. He remains resolute that Iran must not attain nuclear capabilities and strategizes every move to ensure that it does not occur. The next move in this chess match is yet to unfold and we are certain Trump’s central demand will not change.

Source:
Trump signals Iran talks still on, says failure ‘wouldn’t be pretty’, by Israel National News, April 20, 2026